Dragon's Curse
by NoirxIggy
Summary: Hermione is the average doctors daughter, who looks forward to times of solitude once a month. However, this time she gets more than she bargained for. Stumbling into forbidden territory, she will meet someone out of the ordinary, and learn of a dark curse, a corrupt kingdom, and her potential to become a great and powerful witch.


**Disclaimer:** Obviously I don't own Harry Potter.

**A/N:** Alright, I have tried to write this so many freaking times, and they all suck. Hopefully, this one is better. This is an AU, and I have also taken the liberty of changing some of the characters as I see fit. They'll have the same general features and characteristics as those created by J.K. Rowling though. Ummm... What else... Oh. This story doesn't have a beta, so please accept that there are going to be mistakes, yeah? I'll do my damndest to catch and fix what I can.

Dedicated to my best friend, because we almost started a medieval roleplay, and that setting has just been on my mind ever since.

oOo

Thin wisps of clouds burned orange and crimson as they lazily drifted through the pre-dawn. On the opposite horizon, stars still dotted the inky black sky, struggling to shed their last bits of light before a new day overtook them. A sharp breeze stirred the morning air, it's bitter cold and pure scent carrying the promise of a harsh winter to come. Far below, a small village sat nestled among the trees of a vast forest. Rich smoke poured out of many chimneys, signaling that the house's occupants were awake and beginning their day, with various amounts of enthusiasm.

One dwelling in particular had a large amount of activity for so early in the day. It was a house like all of the others in the town; made of a dull gray wood, inside and out. There were two stories to the building. The upper floor consisted of nothing but bedrooms. Four of them, to be exact. Each of the rooms was identical, containing a bed meant for one, a chamber pot and a single window. Upon each bed lay a straw stuffed mattress, a pillow, and a thick wool blanket made of un-dyed homespun. The lower level held a kitchen, whose walls were lined with pots, pans, and other necessary utensils. A large, polished oak table dominated the center of the room, being the obvious area of preparation. There was also a fireplace, the main component in any functioning kitchen. Lastly were two more bedrooms.

These two were different from the others though. The larger of the two had a double bed, with two pillows and a patchwork quilt of varying shades of blue. An oak wardrobe occupied one corner, while a desk and chair of the same wood sat in another. There was also a rarity in the room; a small bookcase was filled with books. There were decorations adorning the walls. Wooden carvings and a single painting gave the room a sense of life. It was clearly a married couples room. The one across the wall was smaller, and like the ones above it, a single bed could be seen. However, that's where the similarities ended. The rest of the furniture was identical to that of the other living quarter on the first floor, just on a smaller scale. It was also laking a book case, and the quilt was of brown, blue, and green.

Those rooms had obvious occupants, unlike the ones upstairs. The reason being that, while the building _was_ a house, it was also the town's place of healing. Robert and Jean Granger were the village doctors and owners of the lovely home. At the current hour, Jean could be found in the kitchen, preparing a hot breakfast, and also a bundle of longer lasting food that was obviously meant for tavel. Her husband was with her, checking the progress of the herbs drying near the fireplace. The last member of the family was their daughter, who was still holed up in her room.

Unlike some her age, Hermione had been up and about before even her parents on that particular morning. She had been busy packing the essentials for a several day trip into the woods. In her pack already were warm clothes, flint and steel, a water canteen, wool gloves, and a small medical kit. Attached to the outside of it was her sleeping gear. Hermione herself was dressed practically. Her hair was pulled back in a horse-tail by a leather throng. She wore a dark green, short sleeved tunic over a long sleeved tunic of a lighter shade. Both shirts came down to mid-thigh, and a simple leather belt, clasped high on her waist, pulled the material close, giving her body some definition. Brown, woolen leggings covered her from the waist down, more leather cords keeping them in place. On her feet were a pair of hard-soled, tough leather boots, perfect for walking long distances and over rough terrain.

Satisfied that she had everything she needed, Hermione grabbed her pack and made her way to the kitchen. Stepping up beside her mother, she made a show of setting her bag on the floor, knowing that Jean didn't like it when she put anything other than food or medicine on the table. Seeing her daughter's exaggerated movements, she playfully swatted the younger, yet taller, female's shoulder. In a mock serious tone she said, "Look at you, not said a word yet today, and you're still managing to sass me, young lady."

Smiling wildly, Hermione replied, "Why of course Mum. It's never too early to find some way to get under your skin." Giving Jean a kiss on the cheek, she accepted a bowl of hot porridge and honey before walking over to her father. "How well are they drying?" she inquired.

"As well as they should be, though this willow bark is taking a little longer than usual. I'm not sure that there's any more left right now..." his answer trailed off as his thoughts wandered. Rolling her eyes, she took an unconscious bite of her breakfast, and was rewarded with a burnt tongue. Scowling at her own lack of thought, she focused on cooling her abused mouth, and the porridge, while she waited for her father to come to a realization.

After a moment it became apparent that he wasn't going to come to a conclusion any time soon, Hemione took pity on him. Smiling at her sweet, but somewhat scatterbrained father, she gently reminded him, "There is still some in storage. Second shelf on the right, fifth clay jar from the left. It should be enough to last until this bundle finishes drying."

Giving a slightly sheepish smile, Robert turned to his daughter with one hand rubbing the back of his head. "Oops," he responded, "I forgot. Thank you. Good thing I have you and your mother here to keep me straight, eh?" Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "Come. Let's eat one more proper meal together before you leave." Going back the table, each of them took their respective seat and began passing dishes.

Looking at the three of them, it was easy to tell that they were related. Robert was tall and fairly muscular, with broad shoulders and generally square facial features. He had dark brown eyes that matched the color of his tightly coiled hair and short, neat beard; both of which were streaked with gray. Jean was his opposite in many ways. Not even coming up to his shoulder, she was slim, but was also curvaceous. Her hair was a dirty blonde and pin straight, and her eyes were a striking shade of green. Hermione was one of those offspring that was almost the perfect mix of her parents. Looser curls were abundant on her head, and they were a honey brown color. Her eyes were neither green, nor brown, but a nice hazel. She was shorter than her father, but taller than her mother. Inheriting her mother's slighter frame fooled many into believing that she wasn't strong, which was not the case. Also, while she wasn't as voluptuous as her mother, she had enough body where it counted. Altogether, the Granger family was fairly aesthetically pleasing.

Silence ruled the table, but it wasn't an unpleasant one. It was the type of quite that was full of good thoughts and unspoken love. There was also an obvious undercurrent of excitement, and it was easy to tell that it was coming from Hermione. She ate faster than her parents, practically inhaling her food. Her actions did not go unnoticed by either her father or mother. Deciding it could have been considered cruel to make her wait any longer, Robert stood and began gathering dishes. His daughter was up in an instant, carrying anything she could to the wash bin. Chuckling, he commented, "If I didn't know any better, I would say you're excited for something. Can't imagine what."

Turning only head to the side and doing her best to glare with only one eye, Hermione kept scrubbing away as she answered, "Very funny Dad. You know how much I love hunting." Focusing back on the task at hand, she washed furiously as Robert left the room.

Laughing as well, Jean came up to her side and gently took the rag and half clean plate from the girl's hands. "You're going to break something if you keep using all that force," she joked. "Go on. Make sure to take the food I packed you, and for Gordric's sake, take your heavy cloak."

A wide grin spread across Hermione's face and she ran back to the table. Snatching up the parcel, she carefully placed it in her bag as to not crush it's contents. Going to the door, she pulled her brown, oiled cloak from the peg next to her mother's. Back at the table she hefted her pack and put both straps over her shoulders. Coming back in, her father handed her a quiver containing arrows and her unstrung bow. Next was a knife, safely tucked into it's strapped sheath. Being right handed, she tied the knife to her right shin for easy access. Her quiver was slung on her right shoulder. Last came the cloak, which fastened at her troat, and hung down to mid-shin.

"Alright then. I'm all set," she said as she turned to her parent's. She found it slightly amusing that no matter how many times she went on these trips, her mother made a big fuss over her leaving. Meeting Jean's eye she let out an internal sigh; the older woman was already starting to tear up. _Thank Gordric Father is here to take care of her_, she though, _Otherwise, I would never make it out the door._ Stepping up to her mother, Hermione pulled her into a hug. "It's alright Mum. I'll be back in three days, just like always," she soothed.

"I know that, but it's a mother's job to worry," came the muffled reply. Pulling away, she found her face being firmly gripped my her mothers hands. She relented quickly, letting her head be pulled down to the older female's height and she graciously accepted the kiss on both of her cheeks.

As Jean seemingly pulled a hankerchief out of nowhere, Hermione turned to her father. This time, she was the one being embraced first. It was a short, but warm and loving hug, accompanied by a kiss on the forehead. "Be safe now. Remember what I taught you, and bring us home something good, alright?" Robert instructed.

Smile back in place, she stepped away from them. "I know, and I will," she replied, making her way toward the door. Opening it just enough to slip out and not let he cold air in, she paused and turned back briefly. "I love you both," she stated. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left.

Shutting the door behind her, Hermione took a moment to take a deep breath of cold morning air. _Good things are going to happen this time. I can just feel it_, she encouraged herself. Not wanting to waste another moment of her precious time, she set off at a brisk pace. _First things first though,_ she remembered, _I have to pay a quick visit the Weasleys and the Potters._ Deciding to tackle the extensive Weasley clan first, she did an about face and headed off toward what the whole town had coined 'the Burrow'. As she made her way toward the northern edge of the town, Hermione was greeted by the few people who had actually made it outside so far. She returned the calls, and answered any questions thrown her way, as politely as possible. However, she did not once stop, since she had a clear goal in mind, and wanted to accomplish it quickly. Being the small town that it was, everyone knew everyone else's business, so no one took offense to her short responses, for which she was grateful.

It took her all of five minutes or so the reach the Weasley house, and once she was right in front of the door, she didn't hesitate to knock. When the door wasn't answered after a moment, Hermione cocked her head in confusion. Stepping back, she looked up at the chimney. Seeing smoke, she returned her head to its original position, and knocked again. Another moment passed without an answer. Stepping forward, she pressed her ear to the door. Loud voices, possibly yelling, could be heard on the other side. Rolling her eyes, Hermione reached down and, without preamble, pulled open the door. In anyone else's home, this would have been seen as rather rude behavior, however, it was an almost expected part of the Weasley household. Everyone knew that, if there were loud noises coming from inside the Burrow, which was more often than not, you could be waiting around for a long time waiting for someone to hear you knock.

Owning a two story house as well, the Burrow had the same layout as Hermione's own home. This meant that she walked right into the kitchen, the one room where all the Weasleys could fit at once, and where they just happened to all be there at that point in time. Despite there being nine people in one space, her arrival didn't draw any attention. Scanning the room, she saw that Mrs. Weasley, Molly, was yelling loudly at one, or more, of her many offspring. Judging by the snickers going on behind hands, the twins, Fred and George, had pulled some kind of prank. If Ron's, the youngest of the boys, face was anything to go by, he had been the blunt end of the joke. Shaking her head at the families predictable behavior, her eyes kept roaming. They widened a bit when she noticed there were two non-redheads sitting around the table as well.

Dropping her luggage by the door, Hermione grabbed an extra chair from a corner and squeezed it up to the table. On her right side was Harry Potter, one of her best friends. His mother, Lily, was sitting on his other side, and his father, James, was seated next to his wife. To Hermione's left was another of her good friends. Ginny was the the youngest, and only female, of the Weasley clan. Too caught up in family antics, Ginny didn't notice her. It was Harry and his family who did, and right away as well.

"Good morning Hermione. Pleasure seeing you here," her black haired, green eyed, friend greeted. He gave her a boyish grin and a one armed side hug, which she returned happily.

"Same to you. What are you all doing here so early?" she asked. Her tone of voice was one of curiosity, not malice.

It was Lilly who answered. Sweet and beautiful Lily, with her kind eyes and long red hair. Not that she would ever say it out loud to anyone, but Hermione considered Mrs. Potter to be a true redhead. It was a deep, lovely auburn color, while the entirety of the Weasleys were more of a carroty orange. "Our chimney is getting fixed, so Molly invited us to stay here until it's done. Too cold to go without a fire, you know. Arthur was fine with it as well," she explained. Hermione silently berate herself, because she had known about their chimney.

She also couldn't help but grimace a little at that. Molly and Arthur were some of the nicest people she knew, as were all of the Weasleys, but she couldn't imagine having to stay with them for an extended amount of time. It was just such a loud and hectic household. Catching sight of her facial expression, James leaned toward her in a dramatic way. "Yes," he mock whispered, "She 'invited' us. She was very... insistent." Grinning at her, Hermione couldn't help but notice, again, that Harry was the spitting image of his father. All except his eyes, which were are green as his mother's.

Stifling her laugh with a hand, she watched as Lily swatted her husbands leg underneath the table and gave him a disapproving look. Having no sense of shame, Mr. Potter turned his crooked grin on Lily. She continued to glare at him for a moment before finally giving up and letting her expression go soft, a slight smile adorning her lips. James grin only widened, and he swooped in to place a chaste peck on his wife's lips. Turning her head respectfully, Hermione looked for something else to grab her attention.

"Hermione!" a voice that could only be Ron's exclaimed, "When on earth did you get here?" Focusing on the redhead who spoke, Hermione did a mental eye roll as everyones attention focused on her.

"Only about five minutes ago, actually," was her reply. "I just wanted to come by before I left. I figured I would come see you all first, then go to the Potters. I forgot that they were having their chimney fixed, but this saves me a trip, it seems."

Molly gave her a huge smile, and said, "Quite right dear. We're glad you came to see us. Do you want anything to eat before you go?"

"I'm alright Mrs. Weasley. Thank you, but my mum actually made a big breakfast this morning, so I'm quite full," she explained. Standing and pushing her chair back, she continued, "Actually, I really need to get going. Only so much daylight out there."

She took her chair back to its original place as Arthur commented, "Ah, yes. Your monthly hunting trip, isn't it. What a good time."

"It really is Mr. Weasley," she replied as she made her way back toward the door. Picking up her belongings and putting it all back on properly, she returned the many called out goodbyes and wishes of luck.

"Wait, Hermione," a female voice called out to her. Managing to actually keep her face passive this time, she turned to Ginny. "Let me walk you to the edge of town. I just have to grab my boots!" Having no other choice, she simply nodded her head. She watched as the girl forced herself away from the table and ran for the stairs. The younger girl wasn't even gone for a minute before she came flying back down. Meeting Hermione by the door, she pulled her green cloak from its spot and fastened it around her neck. After another minute of farewells, the two girls finally made it out of the house.

Once they started south, Hermione pretended to wipe sweat from her brow and commented, "I have no idea how you do it, Gin. So many people all the time. You would think that I would be used to it by now!"

Giggling, the redhead explained, "Oh, it's easy. I'm the only girl, so Mum and Dad always take my side." She proceeded to give her best impression of an evil grin. Her expression went soft then. "Seriously though. They're my family, and I know that at the end of the day, they love me."

Smiling at her friend, Hermione said, "I know. They are a very good family." Sensing that topic was coming to a close, she looked for something else to talk about. Grinning madly she asked, "So, how do you like having Mr. Harry Potter in your house?" Her question had the desired effect, and Ginny blushed a furious red, though there was a smile on her face.

"Never kiss and tell, Hermione. You know the rule," was her half hearted attempt at passing the subject by. However, the older girl had other plans, and she just kep staring at her friend. Ginny became increasingly uncomfortable under the brunettes gaze, until she caved. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "He's been a perfect gentleman..." she began. Sensing that there was obviously more to it, Hermione made a 'keep going' gesture. "...When my family is around."

Hermione raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Ginny shoved her friend playfully. "Well I'm glad to know that things are working out for the two of you," the older girl said. "You make a good couple."

Grinning like a love-struck fool, the redhead replied, "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you." The two girls walked in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione kept her eyes on the edge of the town, which was coming closer with each blessed step. It was Ginny who broke the silence. "Speaking of couples," she began, and the brunette immediately wished to change the subject.

Interrupting the girl, Hermione warned, "Ginny..." Her face was the perfect mix of agony and stubbornness.

"Look, all I'm saying, is that you know he has feelings for you. You have no idea how he stares at you when you aren't looking," the girl persisted.

Heaving a large sigh, Hermione responded, "Actually, I do know how he looks at me. He only thinks I'm not looking." The two of them came to a halt by unspoken agreement, because they had reached the end of the last shop in town. Turning to the younger girl, she placed her hands on on her friends shoulders. "Let me take these few days to think about it, alright?" Seeing a light start to shine in Ginnys eyes, she quickly explained, "I'm not say it's a yes. I'm say that I'll think it all through and come up with the best decision I can. Does that sound fair?"

For a moment, the shorter girl looked like she was about to protest, she even opened her mouth, but she quickly shut it. "I guess that's all I can ask for," she grudgingly admitted.

Smiling, and letting out a silent breath, Hermione pulled her friend into her arms, giving her a firm hug. The other girls arms wrapped around her, holding on until she was gently pushed away. "See you soon, Hermione. Please be careful, and come back unharmed, yeah?" Ginny said with a smile.

Returning the grin, the brunette replied, "Always, Gin." Facing the forest, Hermione started forward. Heading away from safe civilization, and in to dangerous solitude. She relished the thought as a maniacal grin spread across her face, and a laugh escaped her, as the trees swallowed her whole.

oOo

**A/N:** Damn, that took forever. Hope it's alright so far. You'll see why this trip is such a big deal to Hermione in the next chapter. Also, I don't have a planned update schedule. I can't really, because I work a lot during the week, and being under pressure to write makes it harder for me to do so. I will do my best, and that is all I can promise. Oh! And yes, there will be magic, but you'll see what's up with _that_ later...


End file.
